


Roommates: A Ladybug and Chat Noir Tale

by SunshineQi1314



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Gen, Identity Issues, Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29126955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineQi1314/pseuds/SunshineQi1314
Summary: After graduating university, Marinette is wanting to move out from her room at her parents. Unfortunately, finding a nice apartment in Paris that is also somewhat affordable is not as easy as she had expected. Fortunately, Chat Noir comes up with a solution—that she moves into his spare room. Which is fine, apart from one teeny, tiny problem, Chat asked Ladybug to move in, not Marinette, and neither of them know the other’s identity...
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16
Collections: January 2021 - Exchange





	Roommates: A Ladybug and Chat Noir Tale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skim_milk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skim_milk/gifts).



"Sorry," Marinette cries as she stumbles away from whoever she bumped into on the street. She continues to run, looking back to make sure that no one is hurt or angry. "Woah," she says, running into a coffee table and doubling over. "Are you okay," she hears Adrien call out to her. Wow, this is so embarrassing. Should I pretend like I didn't bang up my hip? 

"Yes, I'm Adrien, great! You're great, and I'm with Adrien. Hungry. I'm hungry, and we haven't eaten breakfast. I- I mean-" Adrien looks at Marinette with a strange smile on his face as he guides her to a table with two ice cream cones. 

Marinette thinks that Adrien is about to say that something is on her face, but he lets out a breathy laugh before sitting down. "I'm so glad that we were finally able to grab lunch, Marinette! But maybe next time, we can do breakfast," Adrien says, picking up the ice cream cone. 

Just stay calm, Marinette thinks, trying to slow her breathing, is Adrien coming on to me? She leans across the table with her cheek resting in her hand to discretely cover what she can only assume is a blush. "Oh, that's, um, that might be a good idea," Marinette says, trying to hold Adrien's gaze, "Will Kagami be joining us?" 

Adrien rubs the back of his neck, "Kagami is back in Japan, Marinette. I just thought that since we're having lunch, but you mentioned that you haven't eaten breakfast, that next time it would be cool if we got breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal after all." So what Nino told Alya was right, they did break up. Is that why Adrien came back or did he come back to help with the Agreste line. Did that lead to their break up?

"Maybe we could have Natto and Tamago Kake Gohan to commensurate your time in Japan and to remind you of Kagami," Marinette says. Adrien laughs, holding out his ice cream cone for Marinette to inspect, "Actually, this ice cream reminds me of Kagami." Marinette's heart sinks, that's the flavor combination that Andre was supposed to give us. But I told him to make a combination for you and Kagami.

"It reminds me of you too actually," Adrien reflects, taking a long lick before leaning back in his chair and looking up to the sky, "But it tastes off somehow like it would be my favorite flavor if there wasn't something important missing ." Marinette feels the air leaving her body as Adrien says these words. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a black shape enter her peripheral. Oh no, this is the absolute last thing I need. "Hello, my fellow Purr-isians. I heard that one of you may want to try a new flavor," Chat Noir says handing Adrien the same ice cream cone Ladybug and Chat Noir ate after fighting Glatiator.

Why is Chat Noir here, ruining my date? "Thanks," Adrien says trying out the ice cream cone, "This flavor is actually very good. Try some, Marinette?" No thanks, I've had enough of that flavor for a lifetime. "I think I'm going to take a break from eating ice cream," trying to keep the bark out her tone, "but I'm really glad you like the flavor, Adrien," she finishes glaring at Chat Noir and wishing looks could kill.

"Are you sure," Ladybug asks swinging down from a building to stand next to her partner, "Both flavors pair really well. Besides, Andre's ice cream is the best in all of Paris!" Even if I could have two boyfriends, I certainly wouldn't be trying to date Chat Noir. He's such a silly, arrogant, cat. Not to mention a stranger.

But, Adrien wanted to eat ice cream with her, and for some reason, the thought of disappointing Ladybug seemed like the impossible thing to do. So, after one last glare at the flexing Chat Noir, Marinette takes the ice cream cone that Ladybug is handing her and starts to eat her ice cream.

"Well thanks for the ice cream," Marinette says staring at Ladybug with the feeling that she should know something. "I would like to get back to my date," Chat Noir says pulling Ladybug to his side and preparing to vault away, "Maybe someday we can go on a double date!"

Are we on a date? Giddiness creeps through Marinette as she stares at Adrien waiting for his response. "Oh," Adrien says, "We aren't on a date. But I'm a very big LadyNoir fan and it makes my day to finally see it." Ladybug smiles as she kisses Chat Noir.

And suddenly she's awake, banging her head against the ceiling in her room and filled with a sense of panic. What a crazy, terrible dream. The sun is bright and shining making her squint as her heart thrums against her chest. With horror she turns to her alarm clock, realizing that her internship started ten minutes ago. Thank God it's remote.

Quickly Marinette scrambles down from her bed and runs to her desk to turn her computer on. Was it working? Why wasn't it working? Marinette thought her computer was charged, but apparently, it was dead, and the charger was plugged into the computer but not the wall. Good for the environment, computer, and energy bill but terrible for me, she thought as she bent below her desk and plugger her charger in.

As she finally logged into class she took a deep, frustrated sigh of relief. The first half-hour of her internship was spent in a stand-up meeting with her manager before she continued to the rest of her meetings and continued on her designs. "Marinette Dupain-Chang," she hears a senior designer at Agreste Fashions address her, "Arriving fifteen minutes late for four days in a calendar cycle, or missing two days unexcused will result in your removal from this program. Were you unaware?"

"No Mme," Marinette says. After a moment of silence, the woman continues, "And you don't even have your camera on. That is not only unprofessional, but it is also against our policy, please remedy yourself." Marinette looked down at her pajamas, old and definitely not professional or fashionable, and wondered if she could get away with a slightly loppy home-crafted jumper. 

"One moment," Marinette says running to her closet, "I'm turning my camera on." If Marinette's heart wasn't already clenching so tight, she is sure it would burst as she hears, "Mme Dupain-Chang, you have ten seconds to turn on your camera and respond either in the chatbox or with a verbal confirmation, or else I will have to mark that you were unable to attend our daily meeting and it will count as an unexcused late arrival."

I must have been on mute, Marinette panics picking up a green jumper that she made to match her school crush's eyes. She is still pulling her jumper over her head as she unmutes her device and turns her camera on. "Yes, I completely understand. I am so sorry for coming late and for the miscommunication. I did not realize I was muted."

An audible sigh escapes Marinette's manager, "Thank you for responding to my earlier inquiries. Unfortunately, your camera still appears to be off and you arrived ten minutes late to our meeting." Marinette clicks the on and off button for her camera several times, and while the light on her computer turns on to indicate that her camera is in use, her box remains grey.

Her manager continues, "I know that right now is a difficult time, but it's only the second day of your internship and you are already being disrespectful to the time of your superiors and the policies and procedures your employers have set in place. I'm sorry Marinette and I hope that we can do better tomorrow." Marinette is facing a notification that the host has ended her meeting before she can say anything at all. She falls on the floor and screams, staring at the ceiling.

I'm going to be fired, Marinette thinks as she lays on the floor crying. She had the headache of the century and she just wanted to go to sleep, but she still had eight hours of work to do, in which she would hopefully finish her portfolio of designs and complete her stitch work samples. She also promised to help her parents apply for small business grants and make home deliveries after work. Then she had a patrol without Chat Noir’s help. Sometime after that, she could hopefully make some more kwami powerup potions and she was scheduled to take Wayzz, Longg, and Trixx out of the Miraculous Box. Maybe she should cancel her lunch with Alya, Nino, and Adrien.

But then I wouldn't get to see Adrien, and he just got back to Japan. Marinette wiped her eyes, realizing a nervous breakdown was a privilege that she didn't have, and got to work on fixing her camera. Like most technological problems she faced, closing and reopening the application seemed to solve the problem. She took another deep breath and joined a meeting about designing high fashion masks that fit national guidelines. 

Thus her day continued listening in on meetings, taking notes, making comments on designs, and practicing her stitching. Finally, lunch. 

As Marinette arrives at the restaurant she was supposed to be meeting her friends at, she notices that Adrien is sitting on her side of the table. Alya and Nino waved from their side of the table, “Hey Marinette, how is orientation going?” Alya greets. Terrible, stressful, really bad, I’m about to be fired. “Well,” Marinette starts, “My manager is a little strict, and working from home has been a little hard because I’m also helping my parents out.”

“Tell me about it,” Ally says, “Nino and I have been working from home together, too. I’m sure it's not the same as having to bake during your workday but I definitely have to endure his Instagram streams throughout the day, and it distracts me during meetings.”

Nino smiles, “Life of a DJ, babe. At least you aren’t moving in the middle of a pandemic like our boy Adrien. Especially moving from overseas. Our boy just broke out of quarantine.” Marinette, along with Alya and Nino, glance over at Adrien. For his part, he seems quieter and withdrawn than usual, but at the mention of his name, he looks up and gives them a model’s smile, “It’s definitely easier to quarantine in a familiar environment. I just wish I wasn’t alone.”

“I’m sorry about Kagami man,” Nino says around the same time Marinette blurts, “I heard your dad may be let out on house arrest because of overcrowding.” Alya chokes on her water, but Adrien doesn’t miss a beat when he says, “Actually, my father and Nathalie are already back home. I am pretty bummed about Kagami, and things are tense around the house, but sitting on the board of my father’s company has kept me too busy to notice.”

Marinette shuffles awkwardly, as she dodges the glare Nino sends her and the look of bewilder on Alya’s face to meet Adrien’s eyes shyly. As Ladybug she checked up on Adrien from time to time before he left for university in Japan, but as Marinette, she realized that question was too personal and invasive. For a moment she looks at Nino’s and Alya’s closeness and wishes that Chat Noir was here, she misses having a close friend. After a continued awkward silence Adrien coughs and adds politely, “Mme Bourgeois has been strict? She assigned herself to you specifically because of the work she’s seen you do in lycee. I thought it odd since she’s in charge of the whole program and already has a lot on her plate. Did something happen?”

Chloe’s mother went out of her way to mentor me? She must believe that I have talent, maybe she didn’t mean to come off as harsh this morning. “Oh well, nothing much. I just think that everything that’s going on and running a virtual internship for the first time could make anyone cranky.” Alya laughs loudly, disrupting Nino from his glare and Marinette from her awkward blush, “Yes, I have noticed that everyone in my meetings seems a little less enthused to help me write my articles.”

Marinette ducked her head as the lunch continued and they ate in comfortable silence. As they prepare to go their separate ways, Adrien turns to Nino, “It’s too bad that you have a roommate. I’m thinking of getting an apartment by my father’s company.” Nino shrugs and looks hesitant to reply when Alya jokes, “You can’t have my boyfriend, but I heard Marinette wouldn’t mind having a roommate to live with.”

Adrien looks at Marinette with curiosity, “I’ve never thought about having a female roommate, but yeah, that’s something to think about.” Does Adrien want me? I mean, to live with me as a strictly platonic roommate. Who he eventually falls in love with. Finally, after all these years of dreaming. “Do you need to be walked home, Adrien?” Marinette says, Should I bring up us having a hamster?

Marinette is shocked out of her thinking when Adrien grabs her wrist, but he quickly lets go, “I’m so sorry Marinette you saying that reminded me of a friend I haven’t seen in a while.” Is he talking about Kagami? Adrien lets out a sigh, “But to answer your question, I have a driver. Do you need a ride?” Marinette nods and keeps the same smile on her face as they walk toward his driver. Seeing Gorilla gives her a warm cocktail feeling of deja vu and nostalgia.

“Why do you want to move out?” Adrien asks Marinette when they are both settled in his car. “I suppose it’s because I work from home and so do my parents. They expect me to help out if I’m living at home rent-free, but my internship and extracurricular activities take up a lot of my time. It’s become a little hard to balance.” Especially now that I’m no longer sharing responsibilities with Chat Noir.

“What extracurricular activities have you taken up, Marinette? I didn’t think you did anything competitively besides baking and sewing.” I’m also a superhero and guardian of a Miraculous Box, but I could never tell you that. “Well you know,” Marinette sighs looking out the window, “I enjoy playing video games and I’ve taken over Alya’s Chat Noir Corner of the Lady blog.” It gives me a reason to look for him so long.

“That mangy cat,” Adrien laughs, “He’s old news. It’s nice to see him on the anniversary of Hawkmoth’s defeat. And I, like the rest of Paris, am grateful that he stopped my dad from destroying Paris, but Ladybug does just fine holding this city up on her own.” How dare he? Who does he think he is to have an opinion on the necessity of my chaton? Marinette makes a vague reply before looking out of the window. We must have really grown apart. If we were ever really close that is.

“Will you let me know about the roommate thing,” Marinette says half-heartedly when they reach her parents' bakery, leaving the car before Adrien is able to respond. “Yeah, I’ll think about it. See you later Marinette,” she hears Adrien yell from inside the car as she enters the bakery. Her day finishes without a hitch, and she doesn’t even complain about how much she doesn’t want to write a bunch of grants or how much her body hurt from cleaning the bakery every night before doing solo patrols of the city. I can’t believe Adrien would say that about Chat Noir. What else could possibly ruin this day?

That is until, after completing her power potions and letting Wayzz, Longg, and Trixx out of the Miraculous Box to roam for the night, she started her patrol. Several times she thought she saw a black shadow following her, which she knew probably wasn’t true since Chat Noir only came out for the anniversary of defeating Hawkmoth. Maybe he’s back because he knows Hawkmoth is out on house arrest? It hurt to see that if he were nearby he didn’t want to patrol with her, cracking jokes like old times. Then again, he had a girlfriend and a life outside of his Miraculous. He’s moved on.

Ladybug finishes her patrol and waits at the Eiffel tower, and luckily, she doesn’t have to wait long before she’s standing before Chat Noir. “Hey Ladybug,” Chat Noir says from across the tower. Her heart lurches as she holds herself back from running into her partner's arms, she’s sad that they’ve been apart for so long that it was no longer appropriate to stand so close to him in a pandemic. “Mon Minou,” Ladybug says softly, “Where have you been?” 

Chat Noir smiles softly and steps closer to Ladybug, “Japan.” What is so special about Japan, Ladybug idly wonders if he has met Adrien in passing, and how popular it is for French citizens to live as ex-pats in Japan. “Have you come back for Hawkmoth then,” Ladybug asks looking away. Between Chat Noir getting a girlfriend and Ladybug admitting that she would always be in love with her mysterious highschool sweetheart. 

A part of her regrets letting the Akuma attacks ceasing across Paris be a cause for their interactions to cease. The past few years have been lonely without their friendship, and being the guardian and the only hero in Paris has been stressful while her parents have had little to do around the house. “Yes, but not in the way that you think,” Chat Noir says leaning against the railing. In the past, Ladybug would let whatever personal issues Chat Noir obviously faced sit between them. But now, after missing him for a year, and missing their friendship for even longer, she longed for something personal to sit between them.

“Tell me about it,” Ladybug says holding her breath waiting to see how Chat Noir would respond. When they started their partnership, Ladybug always shut down personal conversations, and after Chat Noir got a girlfriend he no longer complained. She hopes that Chat Noir will answer the question, but he only sighs and shakes his head. “No can do,” Chat Noir says, “It’s identifying information and you’ve met me before.” 

“I don’t care,” She says on a whim. She’s had a very hard day and she’d give anything to share it with Chat Noir. Even if it meant that they share secret identities and lose their memories when Marinette is no longer the guardian. “Well, it turns out that besides being Paris’ hero, I don’t have a lot of other ambitious goals, and after a while, my girlfriend got tired of it. I guess we realized that I didn’t want a great career and she didn’t want a full family, so we went our separate ways.”

“It can be hard to date someone with different values,” Ladybug concedes, “It never worked out between me and the guy I was in love with in lycee.” Chat Noir takes out a cigarette and lights it, “Oh?” He must have picked that up while he’s been away. “I realized that we were never really friends. He saw me as an emotional support system, but I was plotting and hoping to become something more. We both deserved better, but alas we live and we learn.”

They stand together quietly for a while, Ladybug holding her breath as Chat Noir tries and fails to keep the cigarette smoke from blowing all over the tower. “Do you ever think of me?” Ladybug questions, “Of coming back as a more permanent member of Paris.” Chat Noir looks at Ladybug intently, “I’m at the place in my life where I just want to be surrounded by my friends and one day start a family. Being Chat Noir was fun, but being your partner blurred a lot of lines for me. I spent lycee with only one close friend because I couldn’t focus on anything but you.”

“I spend all of my days thinking of you now,” Ladybug admits, “I think of what it would be like to see your face. Does my identity ever cross your mind?” 

“It always has,” Chat Noir counters, “But now it feels like we’ve waited too long. If it were meant to be it would have happened. Maybe Master Fu was right and one of us needs to be able to remember everything that’s happened.” Ladybug flings herself in Chat Noir’s arms making him drop his cigarette, “I don’t care. There are no more Akumas and if we don’t share our identities, there'll be no reason to see each other every day. I can’t spend all my time as Ladybug.”

“Maybe not,” Chat Noir says, “Or maybe we could move in as roommates.” Ladybug freezes but Chat Noir continues, “I mean platonically of course. It’s just that I’m going through a tough time right now and one of my best friend’s girlfriend suggested that I should move in with a friend, even if it’s a female one. I understand if that makes you uncomfortable but-” 

“I’ll move into your spare room,” Ladybug says squeezing her friend tight, “And we’ll keep our identities a secret. Everything will work out.” It may be Chat Noir instead of Adrien I’m moving in with, but at this moment being able to be a real person with Chat Noir is better than the fluttery feeling that Adrien gives her. For now, she wouldn't want things any other way.


End file.
